Irish Immigrants in the American Civil War

Our next evening will focus on the impact of the Civil War on Irish-born men and women, their participation in the military, the catastrophic effect of the massive loss of life on the communities where they lived in the United States and on their families in Ireland. The politics of war,

from the decision to join the army, to the rising resistance to the draft, to the New York Riots, are woven through the talk, but the human stories are at center stage. Irish revolutionaries, nursing nuns, laboring men and their wives, share the spotlight. From Bull Run, to Gettysburg, to the hunt for Lincoln’s assassins, Irish immigrants were key to how the war played out.

The speaker will be Pat Young, Special Professor of Immigration Law at Hofstra Law School where he also directs the Immigration Law Clinic. He writes the online series The Immigrants’ Civil War, publishes the Reconstruction Era blog, and writes about both topics for the scholarly website Emerging Civil War. Professor Young graduated from Hofstra Law School. He works in immigrant groups providing legal services.

Join us on Wednesday, October 13th at the Garden City Casino - please note the venue change. The meeting begins at 7:30pm, and is free and open to the public.

Maximum attendance is 40, so arrive early to make sure you get a spot!